The Rise

4th Quarter Newsletter

GBCS

Greeting from the Director, Mr. Hornickel

In just a few short weeks, GBCS will complete its 54th year of serving families and students with a Christ-centered, strong academic program. The class of 2019 will be the 35th class to graduate, and our alumni are in various occupations and ministries here and around the world. We just received word that our sixth medical doctor graduated on May 11, so we are averaging one MD every six years. And of course there are many others doing great things in the medical field, military, IT industry, law, construction, owning small businesses, etc. At the end of April, a joint accreditation team from the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools visited our campus. They validated our six- year technology plan and will pass that on to the Accreditation Commission. We will submit our new plan in the fall, and if all goes well, we should receive an extension of our accreditation through December 2027. I would like to thank all the parents and grandparents who donated money and food for our visiting team, as well as all who did the same for Teacher Appreciation Week. Your kindness is truly appreciated! This morning we had our last elementary chapels of the year. Various students in grades K3 though 4th received recognition for May’s character trait, which was kindness. This new program began in the winter based on Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV), which states,“ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,

peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Although we were not able to recognize all the character traits this year, the program will resume again in September as we seek to train our students to be more Christ-like in their daily walk. Congratulations to all the parents whose children were honored, and if your child was not recognized this year, they will have a chance again in 2019-20.

As summer is right around the corner, planning has begun for next school year. Several more teachers need to be hired (we are looking for middle and high school English), so if you know any Christian teachers who are looking for a ministry position, send them our way. And once again, as summer approaches, we encourage you to re-register your children and to let your friends know about GBCS so they consider our school for their children. I hope you enjoy the summer with your children. Try to plan activities and even a family vacation if your finances and time off allow. You will build many memories that will last a lifetime. Hope to see you all

again in September.

Table of

CONTENTS

1. Elementary Events

8. MS/HS Track & Field

2-4. Field Trips

7. Elementary Cheer Camp

& Varsity Softball

16. Teacher Appreciation

13. Jr/Sr. Banquet & Promposals

10. Honor Society

1 5 Senior Choices & Final Words

14 Spring Fair

12. Drama Production

& Mental Health Awareness

11. Kendal Nedab Scholarship

& Service Hours

& Spring Break

9. Easter Chapel

5-6. Fine Arts Programs

& Senior Week

Generation of Scholars

Kindergarten students find a

quiet corner to read their next

book in their journey of

completing the big 100. The

Young Readers program is a way

for students to compete with

their fellow classmates and read

as many books as they can

before April. The program

includes K3 - K5 and is intended

to spark an interest in reading at

a young age. Mrs. DePaulo

stated, “It is a program designed

to get kids excited about reading,

plant early literacy, and read 100

books in a year. Students

involved are able to get a head

start in literature, which is a core

part of higher education.”

Mila Mila Cuffee (K5) stated, “I

liked reading with my mom and

reading 100 books.” With every

word and line these young

students are planting and

investing in their success in the

future. - C.Mack

Academics, 1

“The goal is to

improve skills in

reading, to improve

vocabulary and literacy,

and to give them a love

for reading and

imagination.”

Mrs. DePaulo

A crowd full of grandparents

gasped in amazement when the

winner of the Oldies Contest

won a prize for being the oldest

grandparent. Once a year GBCS

encourages K3-4th grade

students to invite their

grandparents for a show. The

students put together dances and

songs to perform for their

grandparents to show their

appreciation. Madison Bannister

(4th) expressed, “This year we

did a dance Mrs. Bourke put

together for us, it was to the

song, ’I Got That’ by Anthony

Brown, it was really fun.” Not

only did the grandparents enjoy

watching their grandkids

perform, they also got the

opportunity to participate in fun

games, and trivia questions

provided by the host,

Mrs.Villano. Not only did the

grandparents and students enjoy

it, so did the high schoolers who

got the opportunity to help out.

Iyarai Harris (10th) shared,

“Helping out with grandparents

day brought back joyful

memories of me participating, it

was a feeling of nostalgia and I

truly miss it.” Overall

Grandparents day was a success,

and enjoyable for everyone.

-T.Smith

Generations of Love

Photos by: Aniyah Taylor

Photos by: Aniyah Taylor

Reptile World The students excitedly waited for

their turn to pet the tremendously

long snake. On Tuesday March

11th, Elementary students were

able to participate in an in -

house field trip to Reptile World.

These students were able to

interact with a variety of

different reptiles and learn about

them. Renee Woods (1st)

expressed how she enjoyed

Reptile World and that her

favorite reptile was the turtle.

The workers at Reptile World

have had a history at Grace and

they have enjoyed seeing the

excited faces from all of the

younger students that

participated year after year.

Whether it was small lizards or

the gigantic snakes, Reptile

both the teachers and students to

enjoy. - C.Mack

Academics, 2

Q&A

Do you feel that students

learn or enjoyed from the

event?

“I think they did and some

them like a lot of

information”

- Mrs Bourke

SCIENCE CENTER

On April 1st our unique 8th

grade students went to visit the

Science Center in Baltimore to

learn more about the galaxy and

the universe. Ms. Cannon, the

Middle School science teacher,

did all the planning and

organization for this trip. She

loves to teach in the classroom

but also loves for her students to

experience learning through

exploration. Ms. Cannon

explained, “I think it’s very

important to apply things to real

life, but gives them hands on

experience that they can’t get in

the classroom.” The 8th grade

students enjoyed the trip and

love learning outside the

classroom. Christopher

Henderson (8th) expressed, “We

learned about the galaxies, and

how the Big Dipper is not a

constellation.” Learning science

not only helps in the classroom

but widens students’ experiences

to learn about life. Alaysia

Waddy (8th) stated, “The value

of science allowed us to see

science applied in life.” Ms.

Cannon cares about how her

students learn and how they will

gain knowledge in and outside

the classroom.

-A.Taylor

Photos by: Miss Cannon

Jesus

Student Life, 3

“The most high!” On Friday

March 29th, our fifth and six

grade students got the

opportunity to take a trip to Sight

& Sound in Pennsylvania to see

the show “Jesus.” The trip

consisted of students, teachers,

parents and even an

administrator. It is rare for

Middle School students to be

able to interact and spend “fun

time” with administrators outside

of school. Ethan Baity says, “It

was cool to see the life of Jesus

and how he died to save us,” The

production came just in time for

easter. When asked what the

focal point of the production

was, Mrs. Harris responded by

saying, “The students got a

chance to see Christ’s life from

the time of the disciples, up until

the time of the crucifixion and all

the miracles he performed during

that time.” This visual

gave students the chance to see

what Christ did for us and it

helped them as they progressed

towards Easter break.

-D.Allen

First Flight: Ready for Takeoff

Uh, Houston, we have a

problem!” One of the popular

quotes from the radio

communications between the

Apollo 13 astronaut John

Swigert and the NASA Mission

Control Center during the Apollo

13 spaceflight, which the 3rd

grade class learned all about.

On March 29th, the 3rd grade

classes got the chance to take a

break from the books and visit

the Air and Space Museum. At

the Air and Space Museum the

students were able to put what

they were learning in class to

action. Aidyn Minter stated, “In

class we learned about planets

and at the museum we got to see

the planets and how the

astronauts float in space.” This

was a great learning experience

for the students but they also had

fun. Amanda Thompson stated,

“My favorite thing was seeing

the spaceships and showing how

the rockets fly, it was really

fun.” The 3rd grade class

embarked on a journey and truly

enjoyed their time at the Air and

Space Museum.

-T.Smith

“THUS WITH A KISS I DIE”

Academics, 4

“Did my heart love till now?

Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er

saw true beauty till this night.”

Romeo expressed his love for

Juliet with a heartfelt statement.

Romeo and Juliet is an example

of British Literature that students

are taught as part of the 9th

grade curriculum. Literature

teacher Mrs. Carraway took her

students to watch the before

reading the play in class. This

allowed for the students to

connect more with the work and

understand the writing of

William Shakespeare, who’s

plays were meant to be

performed. Courtney Glivings

(9th) expressed, “Romeo was my

favorite character and was

funny.” Watching the play

during this time period allows

for students to understand the

time in which the play was

written, but also to see a modern

day version. When asked is the

the written play and the one

performed correlated Charley

Harrison (9th) stated,“Some

scenes are deleted and the play is

adapted to a modern version.”

The trip is beneficial and allows

for learning outside the

classroom. The students are

extremely thankful for Mrs.

Carraway presence to help them

forward their education.

-A.Taylor

Photos by: Ms.Vaichus

Viaje de Campo Español de Mayo the day when the

Mexican people were freed from

the Spanish. Field trips are a way

for the students to destress from

the frantic class environment and

experience the information first

hand and this trip was no

different. - C.Mack

Students anxiously waited on the

bus to enjoy their chance to

participate in Hispanic culture

and partake in a wonderful meal.

GBCS students taking Spanish

this year were able to take a field

trip to the Mexico restaurant on

May 2nd and embrace the

culture they study on a daily

basis. Both students and teachers

were excited for the field trip and

believe it is important. Quinn

Bethel stated, “It helps us as

students to get a better feel of the

Mexican culture and their food.”

Students were able to eat tacos,

enchiladas, fajitas, and other

iconic Spanish dishes. The field

trip is in celebration of Cinco

“I’m planning to better

my knowledge about

Cinco de Mayo and

enjoy the good food.”

- Alexander Rucker

Let it Shine glorifying God. Preston Carroll

(1st) mentioned, “ This Little

Light of Mine was my favorite

song.” Students were very

excited to dress up as well as

put on a show all while singing

songs of praise to the Lord. The

children’s talent in singing and

speech was not the only surprise

of the night. During the show

the children surprised the

audience with acapella, when

the audio for one of their songs

did not work and the students

had no other choice but to

improvise. This showed the

children’s innate ability to stay

calm under unexpected pressure

and perform without being fully

supported by technology. Ms

Davis mentioned, “The kids did

so well and had so much fun on

stage.” In the end the 1st and 2nd

grade students had a phenomenal

performance.

The curtains opened as an army

of children dressed in yellow,

marched towards the stage with

parents applauding and music

ready. The young students were

prepared to give a phenomenal

show. Thursday, May 2nd, the

Elementary program under the

direction of Ms. Davis

commenced, leaving both

parents and teachers smiling at

the sight of such young talent.

During the program students

from 1st and 2nd grade

performed multiple songs and

skits that revolved around

-Z.Harris

Academics

IN TUNE Last Thursday, May 9th the

Middle school band had their

annual spring concert. The

spring concert, consisting of 5th-

8th grade musicians, performed a

great amount of songs. Warren

Rivers (5th) stated, “We

performed Allegro and

Mississippi Hotdog.” The spring

concert is highly anticipated as

the students get to show off what

they have been practicing all

year. This year’s spring concert

was especially great because not

only did they have Mr. Peach as

the music director but they also

received assistance from Miss

Davis who helped conduct them.

Concerts like these allow

musicians at grace to thrive and

show their skills to their peers

and of course their parents. Jalen

Simmons (7th) expressed, “Most

people leave band in middle

school but I chose to stay

because I see music as more of a

passion, and I hope to play more

percussion with my friends”.

The concert was a success and

we can’t wait to see what’s in

store for our future music

programs.

-T.Smith

Academics, 5

A Very Fine Art The lights dim as an audience’s

anticipation is fulfilled with the

opening of the curtain and the

commencing of the annual High

School Fine Arts Program. Every

year the High School Drama,

Band, and Choir departments get

together to perform and display

the talents and skills that have

been honed throughout the

whole year. Jeremiah Franklin

exclaimed, “The most key

element in preparing for the

concert was practicing all the

time.” The program took place

on Thursday, May 17, and left

those attending in awe as they

witnessed such abilities. With

Mr. Peach in lead of High

School Band, Ms. Davis in lead

of High School Choir and Ms.

Mohler in lead of High School

Drama the performance was

superbly conducted with songs

such as “ Carnival de Sol” ,

“Queen of Sol ,” and “ Gonna Fly

Now .” The performances were

an essential masterpiece. Aaliyah

Coates (9th) mentioned, “The

drama production was a success

because I got to finish a

wonderful show with all of the

crew.” Lastly, this gave the

students a chance to bond and

perform their very special and

unique talents in front of a

satisfied audience.

Academics, 6

A

C

S

I

ACSI is an acronym which

stands for the Association of

Christian Schools International.

At ACSI Christians schools from

all around have a opportunity to

show off their musical skills.

“ACSI is a Christian competition

of the varieties of arts; it is band,

art, dance, choir, orchestra and

small ensembles,” stated Bobbi

Caldwell (10th). Bobbi is part of

the WOG Choir here at GBCS

led by Miss Davis. At ACSI, the

choir performed a song called

“Summertime” and did exceptionally

well as they earned the ranking

of excellent. ACSI is not only a

chance for students to grow and

flourish in their abilities, it also

gives them a chance to bond as

they cheer on one another. Bobbi

stated, “Listening to Nate

Worley (11th) sing his solo was

one of my favorite parts of

ACSI, Nate has a great voice and

he sang one of my favorite songs

’Take Me To the K ing’ by

Tamela Mann.” Not only did

Choir do well, our band earned a

ranking of excellent across the

board in every song they played.

Cykethia Key (9th) expressed

how she enjoyed the trip, “I

enjoyed taking a break from

school to focus on playing the

instrument I love.” All in all

ACSI competition was a major

success and students look

forward to going and competing

next year.

-T.Smith

Co-authored by:

-Z.Harris & -C.Mack

Step up to the Plate!

Athletics, 7

knows that practice makes

perfect and the Softball team has

come a long way due to the hard

work in the classroom and on the

field. It would be great for all of

the students and parents to come

out and support the Lady Eagles

as they rebuild this year.

-A. Mills

Catherine Clark

Roster

1

5

10

9

8

7

6

4

3

2

Tamera Smith

Chayla Harrison

Ebony Coby

When life throws you a fast ball,

SWING! Varsity Softball is a

spring sport that many girls at

Grace can’t wait to sign up for.

They get to demonstrate their

skills and prove that they are a

force to be reckoned with. This

year’s Softball team consisted of

a new coaching staff and new

players. Aysia Conner (12th) is

one of the new players and she

described her experience so far

stating, “ This sport is allowing

me to get back in shape and at

the same time I’m developing

new skills and having fun with

my teammates.” While playing

any sport, one must have strong

faith and great skills just like the

veteran Chayla Harrison (11th)

she exclaimed, “I incorporate

God while playing softball by

asking Him to calm my nerves

and knowing that I can always

rely on Him.” Every athlete

Shaliqua Naughton

Kristin Smith

Deja Justice

Ellissa Jones

Moriah Benjamin

Aaliyah Culver

Lily Hendricks

13

12

11

Aysia Conner

Janiah Collier

Jayla Dupree

Spirit Squad “Shoot that ball..,” A chant that

filled the gym on Thursday, May

9th at our annual GBCS

Elementary pep rally. The pep

rally is an event held every year

to showcase the talents of our

Elementary cheer campers. The

campers consist of Elementary

students that wish to be varsity

cheerleaders and best of all, they

are coached by our varsity

cheerleaders. This no easy task.

Being a coach of any sport takes

patience, kindness and

understanding but in the end, it is

all worth it. Varsity cheerleader

Cykethia Key exclaimed, “To

see how much fun the kids were

having when they were learning

made it all worth it.” We can not

wait to see our next generation

of cheer Eagles.

- D.Allen

Photos by: Tamera Smith

Athletics

a run of grace GBCS has an exceptional group

of athletes in every sport,

basketball, volleyball, softball,

and track & field. With our track

& field, students have a unique

opportunity to showcase

different levels of skill on and

off the track. Coach Carolyn

Edwards is the head coach, but

referred to as Coach GM,

leading each group of students to

be the best they need to be on the

Track & Field. Coach GM focus

is to lead students to not only

perform well but to allow God

and the Holy Spirit to lead them

in every area of life. Coach GM

expressed, “The Holy Spirit

leads me to stay focused,

keeping Him first, then the

runners, and lead them to take

big shots and dream big

dreams.” Jamin Preston (12th)

one of the student athletes and

captains, lead the different grade

levels to perform well on and off

the Track & Field. Jamin stated,

“I go to God for encouragement

and to be with when I feel like

giving up.” As our athletes grace

the field we send them

encouragement and love.

-A.Taylor

Va

rsit

y/M

S T

rack:

TH

EY

’RE

RU

NN

ING

!

Flash “I was running!” These

iconic words uttered by the

great Forest Gump. To Forest

Gump and most of the world,

running exemplifies freedom,

and that’s the case with our

GBCS Middle School Track

team. Most people think of track

as just running events, but there

is another side, field. The field

events include shotput, discuss,

long jump, high jump and in

some cases javelin throw. When

asked why she chose track,

Adriene Dash responded by

saying, “The feeling running

gives you is amazing, and when

you’re running and representing

something it makes it that much

better. It also teaches

me to work hard and not to give

up.” Yes, it is free and fun, but it

is also competitive against

other teams, and amongst each

other. Trinity Chambers says,

“My goals are to beat my own

records personally, while beating

the conference with the rest of

the team.” Our Middle School

Track team is hungry and

ambitious to continue success

from our, winter sports. Run,

Eagles, run!

-D.Allen

Timyia Blake

Kevin Chen

Allan Garcia

Michael Brooks

Nathan Butts

Julian McCauley

Jamin Preston

Austin Green

John Hurlburt

Lindsay Simmons

Alaysia Waddy

Maya Yansen

Peyton Holmes

Timerra Blake

Trinity Chambers

Darvi Griffin Simmons

Autumn Ward

Madison Price

Domonique McCoy

Jewel Featherstone

Maria Thomas

Adrian Dash

Jackie Mason

Hannah Banks

E’Lose Forte

soleia Harewood

Brcyen Haynes

Lenny Jones

Josiah Hunt

Shane DePaulo

Andre Beckwith

Justice Smith

Jalen Coletrane

Zion Matthews

Jaden Harden

Justin McCoy

Donovan Correll

John Whiting

Sterling Brooks

Jamill Williams

Athletics, 8

Student life, 9

Easter Blessings Youth Minister Dayne Carraway

used a cross and mirror to

represent the truths about Easter,

leaving the crowd full of

amazement and wonder. He

shouldered the cross as he invited

all believers to take up their

crosses and follow Jesus. The

mirror reminded students to

reflect God’s light. This year

Minister Dayne preached about

how Christians should respond to

the gospel and the need to live

life for Christ. This Easter

Chapel many of our new students

were able to experience a chapel

like never before. Yasmine

Swepson (11th) expressed, “This

was very different from my old

schools, usually, we would have

easter egg hunts but it was nice

to experience the special

message dedicated to Easter.”

Often, when a person thinks of

Easter, they think of dyeing eggs

and eating jelly beans and Peeps,

but Christians have different

mindsets when it comes to this

day. Mrs. Carraway stated,

“Easter draws us back to the

miracle of Jesus’ resurrection.

Without this, not just Easter

our entire faith is hopeless.

“Another special element of this

chapel is to dress up in their

Sunday Best but the focus was

not about their reflection in the

mirror, it was about the

resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“The importance of Easter is

celebrating the day that Jesus

rose from the dead and

confirmed our faith.” - Corey Mack

- A. Mills

Spring Breakers

- A.Mills

A time of relaxation, refreshment

and rejuvenation, Spring Break

is one of the most anticipated

and long awaited breaks. Several

students traveled to different

countries, celebrated birthdays

and played video games at home.

Julion Harris (9th) had an

extravagant break. He stated, “I

went to St. Thomas Virgin Island

and the best part was seeing the

different cultures and the fact of

trying something new.” Spring

Break is the week of regrouping

spiritually, physically and

mentally. Spiritually, one may

have more time devoted to

worship God and celebrate His

resurrection. Physically, one may

have a significant amount of

sleep and rest that was needed.

Mentally, it is a great break off

of academics and refreshment of

the mind. This is also the time to

make great memories with

family. AJ Morton (11th) stated,

“ I traveled to Myrtle Beach and

spent time with my family that

lived there.” AJ explained that

this was an annual trip that his

family makes every year and they

enjoy the beautiful weather.This

year, students thoroughly

enjoyed their time and are ready

to wrap up the year strong.

Photos by: Julion Harris

Helping Hands

Rising Scholars Honor Society is a help to

students in promoting excellence

to the future members of

Americas society.

and can provide some insight on

the program for younger

students. Marcy Bowers (12th)

expressed, “Students can expect

to keep up their grades because

Honor Society can help you in

the future.” Being in the Honor

Society however comes with

benefits to reward the students

for all of their hard work. Such

as Aniyah Taylor (12th) who

mentioned, “The National Honor

Society benefits students by

providing many scholarship

opportunities to students

applying for colleges.” All in all,

-Z.Harris

Academics, 10

Photo Credit: Mrs. H. Hornickel

-Z.Harris

Dozens of plastic eggs, engulfed

in a multitude of colors, find

themselves nicely packed and

stuffed with enticing candy were

assembled in preparation of an

exciting easter egg hunt. The

production of these sweet treats

however were stuffed voluntarily

by our very own GBCS students.

This is just one of the many

opportunities student’s have to

become a volunteer. Serving is a

primary building block in the life

of a students high school career.

Not only are service hours

mandatory for a student to

graduate High School, but they

serve as a way to entice students

to join programs such as the

National Honor Society which

promotes academic excellence

and community service. Quinn

Bethel (10th) mentioned, “I do

service hours in order to achieve

my quota to stay a member in the

Honor Society.” Making service

hours a requirement for students

allows them to learn and develop

a love for their community as

they help and serve. Rachel

Rivers (10th) exclaimed, “It

makes me feel good to volunteer

and serve others rather than

myself.” Developing students to

learn the value of service in their

community as they grow into

adults is a vital role in improving

the future of our society.

The National Honor Society and

the National Junior Honor

Society consist of the best of the

best when it comes to academics

and leadership. Focusing on

leadership, character and

academics, the Honor Society

promotes excellence in the lives

of students across the school.

The National Junior Honor

Society is for grades 7-9th.

While The National Honor

Society includes 10-12th many

experienced students such as

Marcy Bowers (12th) have been

in Honor Society for many years

“You, my brothers and sisters,

were called to be free. But do

not use your freedom to

indulge the flesh; rather, serve

one another humbly in love.”

Galatians 5:13

Mental Health Month “Sometimes in life, you just need

a hug. No words, no advice, just

a hug to make you feel better.”-

Anonymous. May has been

dedicated to mental health issues

since 1949. Mental Health

Month is about raising

awareness on mental issues and

addressing negative stereotypes

about them. GBCS is taking

many steps to raise awareness.

Mrs. Judi Vanderhoof expressed,

“We do an annual art contest for

students to display a mental

health issues and its symptoms.”

The school is also using social

media to help promote mental

health awareness. Students also

deal with mental health issue and

are aware of ways to prevent it.

Aysia Conner (12th) stated,

“Being a Senior is stressful and

could cause many mental issues

such as anxiety or depression but

students have to rise above and

trust in God to carry them

through the year.” Mental Health

Month is a great time to raise

awareness about mental health

issues but it shouldn’t stop once

the month is over. These issues

are common all among students

and many people do not seek the

help they need. Mrs.

Vanderhoof, a licensed

counselor, recommends that

anyone dealing with a mental

health issue to talk to a trusted

person and get help.

Student Life, 11

In Loving Memory

defining attributes both in and

out of the classroom are what

make up the criteria for the

Kendal S. Nedab Award and

scholarship. What makes this

scholarship unique is the way the

students are nominated. A

student can be nominated by

their peers who have seen them

carry out the criteria throughout

the year. In this way, Kendal

remains a light and motivation at

GBCS and will always be

remembered as a kind-hearted

and loving young student .

The Kendal S. Nedab Award is

an annual award that is given to a

student who shows exemplary

behavior in the citizenship

category. This award is in loving

memory of Kendal S. Nedab

(August 30, 2002 - June 14,

2015) and is given at the end of

every academic year, in which

the recipient receives a

scholarship in order to support

them in the upcoming school

year. As a former student of

GBCS Kendal was known and

loved by many students as a light

in the crowd. Jeremiah Catoe

(11th) said, “She was very

compassionate and kind, also she

was a good samaritan.” Kendal’s

-Z.Harris

This year’s first place winner

was Darvi Griffin-Simmons.

This year’s second place winner

was Yasmine Swepson and

coming in third place was Janita

Gadson. Thank you to all who

entered!

Mental Health Awareness,

Art Contest

-E.Coby

Hi-Ho Robin Hood “Hi-Ho Robin Hood!“ April

26th-27th at 7 P.M. the drama

production premiered the much

anticipated spring play Robin

Hood. The play is about a man

who steals from the rich and

gives to the poor. Robin Hood

was played by Julian McCauley

(12th). He loves acting and was

excited to be a part of the play.

He explained, “I like to perform

and my minor in college is going

to be performing arts so I’m

getting practice in now.” It took

hard work and dedication from

everyone for the play to come out

as great as it did. Chayla

Harrison (11th) stated, “I had to

be truly committed to play and

miss out on softball game and

events to go to play practice and

remember my lines.” The play

was such a success. All the

actors and actresses did an

outstanding job and the crowd

loved it!

-E.Coby

Student Life, 12

Finishing Line April 5th-11th was standardized

testing for 1st11th grade, but for

the Class of 2019 it was a week

of participating in other

interesting events. The class

sponsors, Mr. Young and Mrs.

Bigham, have planned activities

for the Seniors each day. Mr.

Young expressed, “The plans for

the week are to go to Arundel

Mills on Friday, speaker on

Monday, potluck on Tuesday,

and a service project on

Wednesday.” This activity week

is one of the last chances the

Seniors have to bond before they

graduate. Marcy Bowers stated,

“It has been a long time coming

and I am glad that this year is

ending.” The Class of 2019

enjoyed their Senior activity

week doing cleaning around the

school and cooking breakfast

with each other and they just

loved spending time together.

-E.Coby

student Life, 13

Students anxiously rushed to the

gym to witness one of the most

anticipated events in the school,

the first Promposal. With the

start of fourth quarter, comes

Promposal season.This is a

tradition that allows students to

go the extra mile for the one they

love and appreciate and ask him

or her to Prom. Students believe

it is very important that every

year they put on a unique show

to display adoration for their

“Promposals are important.

They make the person you

are going with feel very

important and special.”

- Michael Brooks

- C.Mack

Lost In the Moment

The Moment of Truth date. Jeremiah Catoe exclaimed,

“I decided I wanted to do a

Promposal because I want to

show my girlfriend that I care

about her and I want to make her

feel special.” These students are

taking the first steps to

experience a dance they will

never forget!!

GBCS keeps up a tradition that

every year the Junior class plans

the Jr/Sr Banquet. This year our

Junior‘s planned a prom with the

theme “A Night to Remember.”

The prom was held on Friday,

May 3rd at Old Berton Inn in

Leonardtown. Junior Class

President Sydney Bannister

stated, “It was stressful, but it

was worth it in the end.” Our

Juniors planned an amazing

banquet that was full of fun and

memories. Ariana Watkins

(12th) expressed, “My favorite

part was getting dressed and

having my sendoff.” The Seniors

were extremely thankful for all

the hard work, dedication and

lovely video that was created by

Junior class.

-A.Taylor

A Night To Remember

Memorable Moments

Meet me at the Fair ! Take me “Around the World!”

This was the theme for the

annual Spring Fair, which was

hosted by the Class of 2021. This

event allowed the Sophomores to

enjoy the company of their

fellow classmates and work

together to raise money for their

Senior trip. This fundraiser

included various games for kids

to play, vendors and great music.

The games included Jenga which

represented the Leaning Tower

of Pisa, a dunk tank,

moon bounce, double shot, nerf

guns and many more. Vendors

sold clothes, baked goods,

concession food, cosmetic

products and books. President

Quinn Bethel (10th) expressed,

“The fair went well. We raised a

lot of money, a lot of vendors

showed up and it looked like

everyone enjoyed themselves.”

The Sophomore class came

together to pull off a great event.

Janita Gadson (10th) stated, “I

feel like the class was a great

help toward set up and games.

Everyone showed up in red and

interacted with kids and made

them feel good.” This event was

definitely one for the books and

without the hardwork from the

Sophomore class it wouldn’t

have paid off.

Co authored by:

A.Mills and T.Smit h

Student Life, 14

Photo Credit: Keith Alston

Co-Copy Editor

Ebony Coby

Director of

Communications D’Andre Allen

Editor in Chief Aniyah Taylor

I have truly loved being apart of this staff. It was truly a blessing and it helped me grow with my journalism skills.

Digital Journalism is truly one of Grace’s jewels. It was a pleasure to be apart of such an awesome staff and I know everyone will do great in the future.

Being apart of this amazing staff has taught me self- discipline, communications, has granted me opportunities that will I will take with me to college.

The Rise: Senior Staff

Ms. Vaichus

Adviser

Staff

Teaching Digital Journalism has

been a highlight of my time here

at GBCS. I’m incredibly proud of

my staff, their creativity, hard work

and professionalism. It has been a

remarkable honor to work with

such gifted and talented students. I

wish them all the best in their

future careers.

Final Words

The Next Chapter

As graduation approaches, the

Class of 2019 is getting ready to

open a new chapter in their lives.

Many of them are planning to

attend college and explore a

future full of God’s plans. “I am

excited to see what God’s plans

are for me after high school,”

expressed Darius Matthews

(12th). Seniors such as Diante

McKelvin have already

committed to a college and know

what they want to study. He

stated, “I am going to Delaware

State University and will be

studying sports management.”

Jasmine Norman has also

committed to her dream school

which was Hampton University.

The Class of 2019 is a

wonderful class that has stuck

together through many trying

times and prayers will be sent to

them as they go into the next

chapter of their lives.

-E.Coby

People, 15

Our Staff is the Best! Teachers, what a blessing! Our

GBCS staff does everything

possible to make sure students

are successful in life. They care

about the well-being of the

students and even share the

gospel. This is just some of the

reasons why the teachers have a

whole week dedicated to them.

The week of May 6th was

devoted to the hardworking and

diligent teaching staff. They

were treated with breakfast,

- A. Mills

lunch and lunch and received

several presents from their very

own students. Many teachers felt

appreciated this week and

received gift cards, flowers and

jewelry. Zachary Harris (11th)

expressed, “ I made my mom

(Mrs. Harris) a card for being

such a great administrator. I

thanked her for dedication

towards the school and me.” The

importance of this week is to

honor the hard work of the

GBCS staff. Ms. Vaichus stated,

“ A lot of teachers go above and

beyond to support students, not

just in their education but

spiritually and emotionally as

well.” Our Grace staff was called

to teach and spread the word to

everyone they come across, and

many students cherish their

effort, love and compassion.

Legacy Builders What will you leave behind?

That question is not hard for the

Carraways to answer as their

time at Grace comes to a close.

Their impact and presence here

at GBCS is undeniable. Dayne

Carraway, who attended Grace

as a student thirteen years ago. In

his time here, he played almost

every sport possible. As a

student, he left his legacy

premier athlete and most

importantly a man after God’s

heart. He eventually met his

wife, Mrs. Carraway and the

mother of his beautiful children,

Chase, Cole and Camilla. In

2012, she was hired as a High

School English teacher. Together

they have spearheaded a GIANT

Youth Ministry here at GBCS.

“Dayne and Mrs. Carraway have

been an example of what life is

like when you fully give your

life to Christ,” exclaimed Jamin

Preston. When asked about

Dayne Mr. Schluter responded

by saying, “It is really something

special to see his (Dayne) growth

from a student into a man, a

father, a husband and a minister.

It is not easy trying to balance

family, work and spiritual life

and Dayne and his family have

taken a handle on it.” They have

recently stepped out in faith to

start a new church in the

Baltimore area. We ask that you

join us and pray for them as they

do God’s work.

-D. Allen

People, 16